Joist hanger



J1me 1956 A. v. PEDERSEN 2,751,644

JOIST HANGER Filed Dec. 14, 1953 4x51. L P50525544 INVENTOR.

A7 5. BY 5 5 2,55%

United States Patent G JOIST HANGER Axel V. Pedersen, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application December 14, 1953, Serial No. 397,998

2 Claims. (Cl. 20-94) This invention relates to improvements in joist hangers and to devices used to connect the ends of joists to beams, headers, and the like.

Heretofore, a joist hanger commonly employed for this purpose consists of a single section of strap iron bent into U-shaped form and which is adapted to receive the bottom of the joist in its crotch. The sides of the strap iron are twisted and at their tops they are bent laterally so as to rest on top of the beam or header as the case may be. A disadvantage that is present in such joist hangers has been the necessity for notching and shimming. This is particularly true where the joists are of uneven depth and where their thicknesses are not uniform.

Another type of joist hanger that has been advantageously used has been developed from the metallic clip for connecting and reenforcing joints in wood structures disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 2,413,362, issued December 31, 1946, to William E. Edwards, ]r., and Homer B. Maxwell. In such joist hangers the clip disclosed in the above-mentioned patent has its wing portion left in the same plane as the base portion, or if the wing portion has been bent laterally it is bent back into its initial position in .the same plane with the base portion. The resulting structure is in the nature of an angular sheet metal member perforated at suitable locations so that nails may be driven therethrough. Such an angular sheet metal member consists of one side made up of the base portion the wing portion as identified in said patent that is adapted to be positioned against the face of the beam or header. The integral web portion which is arranged at right angles thereto is positioned against the side of the joist and half-length nails have been driven through the perforations into the beam or header and into the joist, respectively. When such joist hangers have been employed there are certain advantages gained therefrom in that as these clips are positioned in the corners formed between the joist and the beam or header they accommodate themselves to joists of varying thicknesses and to joists of varying depths. Consequently, notching and shimming can be eliminated. One objection to these sheet metal joist hangers has been that the perforations in the web portion are located so close to the corner or apex of the angle defining the web portion from the base and wing portions that nails driven therethrough will be driven so close to the end of the joist that maximum structural efliciency cannot be developed. The nails being driven very close to the end of the joist are apt to split the end of the joist and consequently they may be incapable of carrying loads that should be carried thereby.

An object of the present invention is to provide an accessory that may be used in conjunction with these sheet metal joist hangers which is of simple and economical construction and which is so designed that it will cooperate therewith to enable proper transmission of stresses from the joist to the beam or header or vice versa, as the case may be.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will be made manifest in the following detailed description and specifically pointed out in the appended claims, reference is had to the accompanying drawings for an illustrative embodiment of the invention wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view looking upwardly toward a corner formed between a joist and a beam or header, and illustrating the parts of the improved joist banger in the process of being applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but illustrating the manner in which the parts of the joist hanger have been partially assembled together; and

Fig. 3 is a similar view, but illustrating the assembly as having been substantially completed.

Referring to the accompanying drawing wherein similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout, it? indicates an upright beam or header against which the end of a joist 11 is disposed in abutting relationship and at approximately right angles thereto. The joist hanger heretofore marketed under the patent above mentioned, consists of an angular sheet metal member, generally indicated at 12. This is bent on a vertical line 13 into a Web portion 14 which is triangular in configuration and a base portion 15. 16 indicates a wing portion that is defined from the web portion by a slot 17 so that it may be bent at right angles to the base portion 15 in making certain types of connections and reenforcements in wooden structures.

As above explained, however, when these clips have heretofore been used as joist hangers, the wing portion 16 is either left unbent or in the same plane as the base portion 15, or is bent back so as to assume a position coplanar therewith.

The base portion, wing portion, and web portion are perforated with perforations 18 that are suitably distributed and are of such a size as to snugly receive the shanks of half-length nails which are ultimately driven through the perforations in the base portion and wing portion into the beam or header 10 and through the perforations in the web portion 14 into the joist 11. The conventional clip has a relatively large aperture 19 in the web portion through which a nail or similar fastening may be driven in attaching veneer, sliding, or the like to the structure in which the clips are used. The apertures 19 are materially larger in size than the diameters of the shanks of the nails so that considerable leeway is afforded in driving nails through the veneer, siding, or the like, and through the aperture even though the aperture is concealed by the veneer or siding.

As will be noted from an inspection of Fig. l, certain of the perforations in the web portion 14 are located quite close to the corner or bend 13 so that when nails are driven through these perforations into the joist 13 they will be located quite close to the end of the joist. Consequent- 1y, these nails are apt to split the end of the joist and when this occurs, the nails will not function to properly carry their intended loads.

The accessory embodying the present invention consists of a U-shaped sheet metal strap having a bottom 20 and upstanding sides 21 and 22. The spacing between the sides is designed to be substantially equal to the thickness of the joist 11. However, if the thicknesses of the joists vary the U-shaped strap 20 is of suflicient pliability that it may be bent to conform thereto. The sides 21 and 22 have perforations 23, 24, 25, and 26 that are designed to register accurately with the perforations 27, 28, 29, and CA in the web portion 14. In addition thereto, there is a perforation 31 formed in each of the sides 21 and 22 that is designed to register with the aperture 19 in the web portion 14. The side edges of the sides 21 and 22 are preferably beveled off so as to form a flush continuous line with the inclined side edge of the triangular web portion 14.

In applying the joist hanger embodying the present invention the clips consisting of the base portions 15, wing portions 16, and web portions 14 are positioned in the corners formed between the joist 11 and the beam or header 10.- Preferably, there is one clip on each side of the joist 11. The U-shaped strap is then applied to the bottom edge of the joist 11 and its sides 21 and 22 are caused to assume positions in overlapping relationship to the lower portion of the Web portion 14, Nails 32 are then driven through the perforations 31 and through the apertures 19 into the joist 11 thus locating the U-shaped strap in snug relationship to the bottom of the joist. Thereafter, as there is considerable clearance between the edges of the aperture 19 and the nail 32 extending therethrough the clips may be vertically adjusted until the perforations 27, 28, 29, and 30 accurately register with the perforations 23, 24, 25, and 26. When this is accomplished nails' 33, 34, 35, and 36 are driven through the aligned perforations and into the joist 11. Additional nails indicated at 37 are driven through the other or remaining perforations in the web portion 14 and through the perforations in the wing portions and base portions 16 and 15, respectively. These latter nails are driven into the beam or header 10.

In this manner it will be appreciated that the base and wing portions 15 and 16 will be adequately anchored or secured to the beam or header 10. The nails 33, 34, 35, and 36 as they fit rather closely in the aligned apertures 27 and 23; 28 and 24; 29 and 25; and 30 and 26, respectively, will be loaded in sheer. Consequently, these nails provide a very effective means for transmitting loading from the U-sh'aped strap to the beam or header through the base portion and wing portion 16. This is true regardless'of the fact that nails driven through certain of the perforations into'the joist near the end of the joist may actually split the joist.

In this manner it will be appreciated that by the provision of the'U-shaped strap with its registrable perforations all of the advantages gained by means of the angular clips when used as joist hangers are efiectively retained, but in addition thereto, a structure is provided which will assure the proper transmission of stresses so that the structure can be properly loaded without danger of failure.

Various changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A connection between a joist and a beam or header comprising angular sheet metal members positioned in the corners formed between the joist and beam or header having portions lying against the beam or header and portions lying against the sides of the joist, a U-shaped sheet metal strap positioned beneath the bottom of the joist and having its sides in overlapping relationship to the portions of the angular members which lie against the sides of the joist, and nails driven through the angular members into the joist and beam or header respectively, at least some of the nails being driven through both the U- shaped strap and a portion of an angular member.

2. A connection between a joist and a beam or header comprising angular sheet metal members positioned in the corners formed between the joist and beam or header having portions lying against the beam or header and portions lying against the sides of the joist, a U-shaped sheet metal strap positioned beneath the bottom of the joist and having its sides in overlapping relationship to the portions of the angular members which lie against the sides of the joist, there being perforations in the angular members, nails driven through said perforations into the joist or beam or header, respectively, there being perforations in the sides of the U-shaped strap which register with some of the perforations in the angular members, the nails which extend into the joist through the mentioned perforations extending also through the registering portions in the U-shaped strap.

References Cited in the file of this patent 

